Dreaming to Reality: Snapshots
by Yuki Ryu
Summary: A series of short fics that can take place before or during 02 Remix at various times, expanding on the Chosen and their lives.
1. Story 1 - Taichi, Sora, Yamato

**Watching Out for Boobs**

* * *

Yamato hummed to himself as he sat on a stool in his room, looking down at his electric guitar as he strummed along to the melody playing in his head. He kept the volume low, so as to not disturb his neighbors as he practiced. Behind him, the Chosen of Friendship could hear Gabumon puttering about on a small drum pad that simulated the real thing with only a fraction of the sound. They filled every inch of his room with music, giving him a wonderful sense of peace. Even though they did not have a gig that week, it always paid to practice, and it was one of his favorite things to do with his partner.

Besides, there was something cathartic about music.

Unfortunately, the sudden chime of his D-Terminal created a discordant melody that jarred Yamato from his music. He stopped playing immediately, knowing that these devices Koshiro made to help them communicate were only to be used in Chosen business. Something was wrong and he needed to find out what.

However, the message Yamato found was not one that he expected.

 _Open your front door already!_

Yamato stared at the message for a moment before he looked up. It was then that he noticed a loud knocking at the front door. Glancing to Gabumon – who stopped playing as well – the Chosen of Friendship put down his guitar on his bed and headed out to answer the door. With his father at work, that left no one but Yamato to deal with any visitors that came calling, and given how occupied he and Gabumon had been with their music, they must not have noticed it before. It made him wonder what was so important. "Hello–?"

A frazzled Taichi stood in front of the apartment door as it swung open, D-Terminal clutched tightly in one hand as the other, curled in a fist, nearly came down on Yamato's head. He yelped and quickly pulled back his arm just short of the blond, wobbling from the redirected momentum. It was only thanks to Agumon grabbing his leg at the last second that he remained upright. A beat later, he scowled. "Finally! I've been out here pounding on your door for ten minutes! Your neighbors have been staring."

Yamato looked down the length of the hallway to confirm that at least half of the other apartments had neighbors peering out their doors with varying degrees of curiosity and irritation. He quickly ushered Taichi and Agumon inside and shut the door behind them to hide them from prying eyes. After locking the door and letting out a sigh, he turned to Taichi. "Sorry, I totally didn't hear." He paused as he took in the expression the brunette wore. "…Did something happen?"

Taichi shoved his D-Terminal into his pocket and rubbed the back of his head beneath the band of his goggles, his eyes fixed on the wall rather than Yamato. "Well, uh… see… I was just out with Sora and… I kinda…"

Yamato stared at Taichi, his eyes widening a fraction before his expression deadpanned. "What did you do."

A nervous note of laughter escaped Taichi's lopsided smile. "I, uh, kinda said something…"

Yamato's stare was piercing. "About?"

Taichi focused on his fingers as he poked them together. "Her, er, boobs."

Yamato stared at Taichi in silence for several minutes. Then, he slowly brought up his hand to press his palm against his forehead, feeling a headache coming on from his friend's sheer stupidity. " _Taichi_ …"

Taichi's cheeks tinted a bright shade of pink. "I-It's not like I was trying to be a pervert about it! See, this older lady with giant boobs walked by and Sora was looking at her chest and looking all depressed, so I told her that she didn't have anything to worry about since she's got the biggest boobs in her class so she'll probably be just as big or bigger than that lady when she gets that old too!"

"He apologized a lot, but Sora was too angry to listen," Agumon said. "She was even more upset than that time you grabbed pads instead of money from her purse like she asked and the whole restaurant was staring at you guys when you were asking her what they were and opened one up!"

"D-don't remind me, Agumon," Taichi muttered, mortified by the memory.

Yamato stared at Taichi for a long moment as he processed what the other Chosen had said, then slowly arched an eyebrow. "You do realize that sounds like you're checking out all the other girls in her class, right?"

Taichi's blush deepened. "That's the first thing Sora yelled at me about, but I swore I don't, and it's true! I just… Girls have boobs! They're _right there_!" He cupped his hands in front of his chest. "It's like looking at a guy and knowing he's skinny or got muscles or something! It's not like I gawk at them or anything! I just…"

Agumon nodded sagely. "Even Digimon have boobs sometimes too."

"I know, I know," Yamato said with a heavy sigh. "But considering how self-conscious Sora can be, that's still not something you should just say."

Gabumon peered out from the doorway leading to Yamato's bedroom. "All human women seem to be really self-conscious when it comes to their breasts." He paused for a moment. "Or at least, that's what happens a lot on TV."

Yamato shook his head before folding his arms across his chest. "All right, leave it to me. I'll try and calm Sora down. I'm sure she knows you're just being a boob, not that you actually meant anything about hers."

Taichi chuckled awkwardly as he gave his friend a lopsided grin. "Thanks a lot."

Yamato returned the smile. "No problem. But in the future, you should probably distract her from being self-conscious in other ways, without comparing her to anyone. She does that too much as it is."

Taichi frowned before letting out a grunt. "She really shouldn't do that. Sora is the most awesome girl I've ever met! She makes all other girls seem so… so boring! I really don't get why she keeps thinking they're better than her."

Yamato tilted his head before clasping his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure she'd like to hear that from you. Girls can be pretty nasty to each other. You won't believe the crap I've seen during my concerts."

Taichi groaned softly, frustration marring his features. "I'll tell her that all she wants if she's even going to listen to me right now."

Yamato chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry. I'll go see Sora. Honestly, she's probably expecting me."

Taichi let out an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, probably." He exhaled deeply. "Thanks for putting up with always winding up between us like this."

Yamato waved his hand dismissively, as he smiled wryly. "It's fine, I don't mind at all. It doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to, not that I minded then either. Friendship is about supporting each other, right? I–"

The Chosen of Friendship paused when his cell phone began to ring. He immediately recognized the ringtone even as he flipped it open. After listening for a little while, he tossed Taichi a grin. "I'll be right there, Sora."

Taichi gave his friend a sheepish smile and mouthed the words, "Thank you." He then quietly made his exit with Agumon right behind him.


	2. Story 2 - Hikari, Takeru

**Starshine**

* * *

Hikari leaned up against the side of a building marred by graffiti and enjoyed the warm summer sunshine. It had been over two years since that fateful August day and well over a year since Tailmon and the rest of their partners had come to live with them in the real world for good. It brought a smile to her face as she watched her partner now, sparring with Angemon so that they could both maintain their fighting skills even though the Digital World had shown them nothing but static for a while now.

It had taken some work to find an area of the city where people rarely went. The tall decaying buildings surrounding them gave the two Digimon room to maneuver as they tested their skills on one another. They had an easier time sparring at someplace out in the country, such as where Takeru's grandmother lived, but this was the best they could find in the city.

Takeru stood beside Hikari's side, close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed. She would occasionally look over at him and smile. Lately, she noticed that often times when he returned the gesture, her insides would constrict in a way that was anything but painful.

Hikari would have liked for the four of them to spend more time together, even if it was most often to help their partners train. It was a pity that it was always necessary for one or both of them needed to take the train in order for them to meet up. They made up for it by constantly being in contact via email, but it was not quite the same as standing as close together as they were now, comfortable even in silence.

"I wonder when we'll go back," Takeru said, his soft voice startling Hikari out of her thoughts.

Of course, Hikari knew exactly what Takeru was referring to. Invariably, one of them would bring it up every so often. All of the Chosen, both children and Digimon, could not help but wonder when the Digital World would open up to them again. It was a rhetorical question, as none of them had the answer.

"Whenever the Digital World needs us again," Hikari said just as softly. That was the only thing they were certain of. They were the Chosen Children, and the Digital World needed them just as much as they needed the Digital World. They only truly realized how much it meant to them when they could no longer return.

Takeru let out a soft, thoughtful hum as his eyes turned towards the sky. Hikari watched her out of the corner of her eyes, wondering what he was thinking about now. Was he remembering the things he experienced on their journey, or imagining what it would be like to return now that they were older and more mature?

"I wonder how different it'll be when we go back," Hikari said.

Takeru inclined his head towards her, letting out an inquisitive hum to let her know that he wanted her to continue with her thought without interruption.

Hikari closed her eyes and listened to the sound of their partners scuffling and calling out attacks. "I know it probably looks different now. It just feels like we were so much younger when we were there. Even if it looks exactly the same, it won't _be_ the same." She opened her eyes to look at Takeru. "At least, that's what I think."

"I think you're right," Takeru said. A quiet chuckle escaped him as a crooked smile formed on his lips. "Sometimes it feels like it's been twelve years instead of two."

"We grew up pretty quickly, didn't we?" Hikari did not mean to take the conversation someplace so serious, and she almost regretted asking when she saw the subtle change in Takeru's eyes.

Takeru nodded, his gaze distant, as though seeing something unpleasant. "Yeah." A moment later, the tension in his expression eased and he was smiling again. "But I don't think that's entirely a bad thing, do you?"

For a moment, Hikari watched Tailmon throw a punch at Angemon, who deflected it with his staff. From a distance, the two appeared to be locked in a life or death struggle, but she could see the smiles on their faces as they regarded each other with great respect and affection. She could not imagine her life without Tailmon, or any of the other Digimon in it.

Hikari also noted, as she looked back at Takeru's face, that she did not want to imagine life without him or any of her other friends either.

Slowly, Hikari shook her head, wearing a gentle smile. "I'm thankful. No matter how bad things got… No matter how bad they might get in the future… I don't regret becoming a Chosen Child. I never will."

"Same here," Takeru said, his tone as soft as the expression on his face.

A comfortable silence settled between them once more and Hikari basked in it. The warm sun and breezes that slid between the buildings or were generated by their partners' attacks created a nice contrast. It seemed to be a perfect day.

An unusually strong gust brushed against Hikari, whipping her hair around. She straightened up to brush her bangs away from her eyes, but they did not seem to want to stay. She realized a moment later that her hairclip was missing.

Takeru blinked when he noticed Hikari focusing on the ground rather than the sparring match. "What is it?"

"My hairclip got loose," Hikari said with a sigh. "I think it fell down somewhere around here." With how small the clip was, she doubted that she would ever find it among the wild patches of tall grass and the numerous bits of garbage lying about.

Fortunately, Hikari was proven wrong after about a minute, as Takeru held up his hand with triumph. "Found it!"

Hikari smiled as she watched Takeru use his shirt to wipe off her hairclip. "Thanks, Takeru." She reached out for the clip, but he brought it towards her face.

"Allow me," Takeru said as their eyes met.

Something in his gaze compelled Hikari to stand still, watching him as his fingers gently ran through her hair and slid the clip back into place. She could have sworn that those warm fingers of his lingered far longer than was entirely necessary, but even still they seemed to disappear all too soon.

Takeru leaned back a little too quickly for her taste. "There you go."

The sun felt especially warm on Hikari's face, but she ignored it and relaxed back against the wall, a smile on her face. She really loved gentle summer days like these.

"Thanks, Takeru."


	3. Story 3 - Takeru, Yamato

**Love Letters**

* * *

Yamato sat on his bed as he strummed quietly on his guitar. With Gabumon still a captive of the Digimon Kaiser, the Teenage Wolves were on indefinite hiatus. The others in the band accepted it reluctantly, and although he appreciated their offers to come to them for help if he needed it, he made it clear it was something he had to deal with alone. Unfortunately, although there was no bad blood between him and his band mates, not being able to perform removed a major outlet of letting out emotions that he kept locked up inside him.

This left Yamato alone in his room idly playing his guitar, with no direction to guide him. He poured his emotions in to the melody without bothering to even attempt composing a song. He had a stack of new compositions ready and waiting, and making more would only frustrate him further at this point. Right now, this nameless tune he played was a pure expression of his frustration and anger ripped from his heart and unleashed upon his empty apartment so that he would not have to feel those emotions so sharply – at least for the moment.

Yamato lost himself to the music, going from slow and somber to harsh and jagged notes that made the water in the glass on his nightstand dance. He was one with the music, not knowing where it would take him but relishing every high and low it brought him.

Unfortunately, the experience was shattered and Yamato was jerked harshly back to reality by the jarring sound of his cell phone ringing. He paused, glaring at the thing for daring to interrupt him, until he recognized the ringtone. His anger evaporated and he nearly fell out of his bed in his haste to take off his guitar and almost knocked over the water when he snatched up his cell phone. "Yo, Takeru!"

The familiar voice that came through the cell phone was quiet, strained by stress. "Hey."

Yamato frowned, brow furrowing with concern. "What's up?"

Silence answered at first, save for Takeru's soft breathing, until eventually he let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, this is going to sound weird no matter _how_ I say it, so I may as well say it. What do you do with… unwanted love letters?"

Yamato blinked once, twice, and then a third time as the implications slowly sunk in. Once he realized what had caused his little brother such distress, he had a hard time suppressing his urge to laugh, a snicker coming out from his covered mouth in spite of himself.

"I'm serious!" Takeru said, exasperated. Although Yamato could not see Takeru's face, the older boy easily imagined his brother making exaggerated gestures at the love letters in question with pinked cheeks. "Every time I go to my locker, there's more of them! There must be dozens of them!"

"That's what you get for being the cute new kid," Yamato said with a teasing note to his voice that hinted at his barely contained laughter "Add in the fact that you're a blonde in a sea of brunettes and there's just no avoiding it." He nearly lost his composure when he heard Takeru let out a breath in a disbelieving snort. "You were fine at your old school because you kept to yourself, but here… joining the soccer team was your first mistake. Now _everyone_ knows your face."

"I'm beginning to see that," Takeru grumbled. "But I'm not about to quit, not that I think it'd change anything. I just… what am I supposed to do? Do you answer them, throw them away…?"

"Have you checked first to make sure none of them are from Hikari?" Yamato asked, trying to sound as innocent as he could.

The choke and sputtering on the other line told Yamato that Takeru had been drinking something – something that was likely now everywhere except in his little brother's mouth. Yamato tried not to laugh and only partially succeeded as Takeru fumbled to recover from a minor coughing fit.

"Brother–!" Takeru sputtered, choking out the words with a suspiciously higher pitch to them. "No, there is nothing from _Hikari_!"

"Oh, so you _did_ check," Yamato said teasingly.

Takeru was caught sputtering, and Yamato could imagine his blush had gone from pink to bright red as he struggled for words. "I-I'm being serious!"

"So am I," Yamato said, his voice growing sly. "That girl better move fast, given all the sudden competition."

"There's no competition," Takeru muttered under his breath. It was so soft, more to himself than his brother, but Yamato heard him regardless of whether or not he meant to be heard. "She has enough to deal with. I'd rather not make things complicated. Especially with _Daisuke_ …"

Yamato tilted his head. "You think he has a chance?"

Takeru was silent for nearly half a minute before he answered. "If he does, it's entirely Hikari's choice," he said in a voice just barely above a whisper. He forced himself to sound unconcerned, but Yamato could see right through the attempt. "I'm fine with whatever she decides, if she even decides at all."

Yamato quirked an eyebrow as he leaned back against the headboard. "So you don't plan on 'fighting for the girl'?"

"She has enough fighting to deal with," Takeru muttered, sounding faintly bitter. "She doesn't need it coming from me too." He grunted then continued before Yamato could ask what he meant by that. "Anyway, that's not why I called you. What am I supposed to do with these letters?"

"Are any of them signed?" Yamato asked as he flopped onto his back, his eyes drifting towards the ceiling. "Do you even know any of them?"

"Some are, and I don't recognize any of the names," Takeru said, growing more exasperated by the moment. "I even got a note from a guy warning me not to go near his girlfriend, which he signed before he apparently chickened out and tried to cover it up with whiteout. But all I have to do is hold it to the light, and I can still see his name. What's up with _that_? Why didn't he just re-write the stupid thing?"

"He wasn't clever enough to realize that you could do that," Yamato said, with a chuckle. "Anyway, I used to respond to them, but it never did any good. They just kept coming, and thanks to the band, I get even _more_ now. I'd just get rid of them, after making sure to destroy them. They're private feelings, so you don't want some dumpster-diving creep to get them… especially if that creep is one of the girls that wrote you a letter."

"Are… are you serious?" Takeru asked, slowly, his disbelief so plain in his voice that Yamato could easily imagine him gawking. "Does that… actually happen?"

"Once," Yamato said, with a sigh as a flush of embarrassment and unease ran through him at the memory. " _Never_ again."

Takeru was silent for almost a full minute before he let out a soft sigh. "Girls can be weird."

Yamato chuckled, a wry grin spreading across his face. "Welcome to puberty."


	4. Story 4 - Ken, FlaWizarmon

**Training**

* * *

A loud crack echoed through the coliseum, scattering birds who had settled down to roost on the rocky pillars. The Digimon Kaiser's whip lashed out again, generating another echoing snap, as the tip struck at the bewildered Palmon's back. The plant Digimon flinched before she stumbled forward, the Evil Ring driving her onward towards her next opponent - a bruised and beaten Gizamon.

"Move - _move_!" the Digimon Kaiser barked furiously as he stood behind Palmon. "For goodness sake, do you even know _how_!?" He continued to snap his whip, biting at the plant Digimon's root-heels as she stumbled forward.

Palmon jerked her hands upwards, extending her tendril-like fingers towards the Gazimon as she attacked her target. Despite his injuries, the Gazimon was quick to scramble out of the way.

The Digimon Kaiser grunted as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Honestly..."

"Not everyone has battle-ready reflexes, K-chan," FlaWizarmon said as he sat on the platform above the arena, his legs dangling over the side. "Especially not when you're the partner of a pampered, spoiled little princess."

"She's a _Digimon_!" the Digimon Kaiser snapped, as he did the same with his whip, the tip once again biting at the plant Digimon's backside. "She's got to have _some_ instinct for battle, doesn't she!?"

"Nope," FlaWizarmon said, with a shrug. "If that were true, the entire Digital World'd be crawling with Perfects, or even Ultimates. As it is, some Digimon have the drive and evolve to their limits... others don't, and remain in their Child forms all their lives. It looks like Chosen Digimon have the same issue, though they at least have the benefit of tappin' in to their Chosen to make up the difference. I'm thinkin' that if Palmon didn't have Purity Darlin', she'd just remain a Child forever."

The Digimon Kaiser's cheek twitched, his jaw tensing. "...That's inexcusable. She'll get herself killed, and _her_ along with her."

"Well, that's why you gotta keep trying, right~?" FlaWizarmon asked, cheerfully. "Don't let anyone say you did her no favors! She's a _lot_ faster than she used to be, though she still waddles like she ate a few too many cupcakes. You might make a respectable fighter out of her yet!"

"I'm a genius, not a _miracle worker_ ," the Digimon Kaiser grunted as he pulled his whip tightly between his hands. He paused at his own words, then grimaced and looked away. "...I'll do what I can."

"That's all anyone can ask of ya," FlaWizarmon said, with a small nod. "Don't worry your head over it, it'll be fine, K-chan."

The Digimon Kaiser grunted, then glanced over to see Palmon staring at him with blank eyes. His cheek twitched before he straightened up. "Did I tell you to stop!?"

Palmon blinked, then squeaked as the whip whizzed forward, snapping at her face. She quickly turned and trotted after the Gizamon again, who had been resting off to the side, nursing his wounds.

FlaWizarmon watched the Digimon Kaiser seethe after the plant Digimon, then leaned backwards, propping himself up with his arms. "...It'll be just fine, K-chan."


	5. Story 5 - Ken

**Sweet**

* * *

The camera panned across a glittering sandy beach, focusing on the palm trees and gentle waves before focusing back in on the star - Ken Ichijouji. He wore lavender trunks with a lilac button up shirt, slightly open to expose his stomach, and a bright smile. He turned to take a sip out of a can of soda, then let out a refreshed sigh and turned back to the camera.

"Even I need a moment to recover now and again," Ken said as he held up the can, brandishing its name - SweetPop, in bright pink over a green background. "Sweetie Pop has everything I need - great taste, low calories, and enough energy to keep me going!"

At that moment, a loud shout echoed through the set. " _Cut_!"

Ken looked over to the director, who stood up from his chair and smiled brightly at the boy genius. The scenery was in fact a set in a studio, a small sandbox of white sand with a potted palm tree while the waves were nothing more than a backdrop.

"Fantastic, Ichijouji! As always!" the director said.

"Thank you," Ken said, his smile easy-going. "I'm glad you approve."

"Ten minute break," announced a woman as she approached the boy genius, though her eyes were focused on her notebook in front of her. It was Ken's manager, Noriko. Her shoulder-length, neatly trimmed brown hair barely swayed in the artificial breeze as she strode through the piles of sand, despite wearing heels and a black business dress. Her black eyes didn't look up from her notebook, managing an air of professionalism. "This way, Ken."

Ken smiled at his manager and turned to bow at the director before he followed after Noriko, who had already begun walking off without even waiting for confirmation from her charge. The two crossed the studio before heading to Ken's private dressing room. She moved one hand to open the door, holding it open so that the boy genius could slip inside, before she shut it firmly behind her.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Ken grimaced and gagged. Tossing the can he had been holding in the trash, the boy genius stuck his tongue out.

"Bleeeghhhhhhhh!" Ken choked out, the sound completely unexpected from the boy.

Noriko didn't seem fazed, instead grabbing a bottle of water and offering it to Ken.

Ken quickly took the bottle and proceeded to rinse his mouth out, spitting it into the sink in the nearby bathroom. "Disgusting… it's so disgusting!"

"Your poker face has gotten better," Noriko said as she wrote on her notebook.

"It's so filled with sugar - and _fake_ sugar at that! Why not just dump an entire bag in some water and guzzle _that_!?" Ken demanded, before he gulped down the water. "There'd be less chemicals, for one!"

"Some people _like_ sickeningly sweet," Noriko said, finally lifting her head to meet Ken's gaze. She paused as the boy genius deadpanned and held out a fresh can to her. "No, thank you. I'm not thirsty."

"That's what I thought." Ken said, dryly.


	6. Story 6 - Hikari

**Song of Cinders**

* * *

There was something different about this dream, Hikari could tell right away that it was neither a normal dream, nor a vision of the Dark Ocean. There was something nostalgic to the feelings she had as she walked through the empty space that seemed like it was made up of pieces of the Digital World that made even less cohesive sense than ever.

The land around Hikari was a twisted jumble of pieces that didn't quite fit together, like a tree weaving in and out of a building angled on a diagonal. What she mistook for a breeze making the branches sway were actually the blur of glitching as the areas where the two overlapped in space competed for dominance. The ground was hills and pits of blackened bits scorched by explosions and twisted in shapes that reminded her of illusion puzzles that hurt her eyes to look at for too long.

A tiny flicker of glittering light caught Hikari's eye and led her on through a place that no longer made sense. She thought she heard whispers that invoked nostalgia from years ago, but she couldn't make out a word.

Hikari quickened her pace, chasing the light until it disappeared behind the remains of a wall that had frozen in midair as it was falling down, a halo of bricks, ash, and sparks surrounding it. The presence of so many time points of light made it easy to lose track of the little lights that led her there and frustration cut through the unease of the place.

"Tenraimon?" Hikari called, uncertain but hopeful. "Are you there?"

An unfamiliar voice answered, but what they said was too distant to make out. Hikari paused to listen, but realized after a moment that the person wasn't speaking, they were singing. She followed the sound around the forever falling building and stopped instantly at seeing the chaos behind it.

There was a hole, massive in size, scorched with flames that did not move ringing the edges and a halo of frozen smoke. Parts of the ground had been stretched upward and away in unnatural directions, as though someone had changed parts of it to putty or squared blocks in a computer art program. A grid peeked out from different angles, frayed glowing lines that shifted from color to color, making it the only thing that moved in this place but her.

The whole area was wrong, broken, Hikari could feel it in her bones. While the Dark World had a sensation of malevolence and despair, the area felt sickly with no hope of recovery. She shuddered a bit as she couldn't think of her own chronic issues with illness, but she knew she couldn't stop now. This dream had some sort of meaning to it, she was sure of it.

With a growing sense of dread, Hikari realized the singing came from the deep dark depths of the pit before her, which was nothing big a black void as far down as she could see. Although the animal part of her brain screamed against what she was doing, she followed her instincts and jumped into the hole.

There was barely a second of the sensation of falling before Hikari was on her feet again. To her dismay, her surroundings were gray and dreary, and she knew that she had returned to the Dark World. This time, however, she was not alone.

A battered plush black cat with two eyes like blue gems lay sprawled at the feet of a girl with her back to Hikari. Even from behind, Hikari could recognize the long black hair and dress as belonging to the girl who she had only ever seen trapped in the mirror - Keiko. There was no mirror between them now, yet the Chosen of Light found herself slowing her pace as she realized it must have been Keiko's singing that brought her there. Although Hikari had been dying to meet Keiko for so long now, she hesitated to interrupt the other girl singing such a beautiful melody.

In spite of reluctance, Hikari's feet continued forward, a urgency pressing her on despite the increasingly terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that called for her to wait. For one surreal moment, it was almost as though she was watching someone else touch Keiko's shoulder, whispering the Chosen of Darkness' name.

The dark fabric crackled beneath Hikari's fingers, and the shoulder below crumbled as hairs that brushed against her hand disintegrated into ash. A scream died trying to escape her through as the girl in front of her fell apart and blew away like the remnants of a fire. The singing continued all the while, fading away on the breeze as the ashes of the Chosen of Darkness spread to the four winds.

Hikari woke up screaming.


	7. Story 7 - Everyone

**Halloween In America**

* * *

Halloween, for all intents and purposes, was an American holiday. At the very least, it wasn't something that was celebrated as actively in Japan as it was in the United States. For Mimi, whose exposure to American culture was strictly through occasional holiday trips before her family moved there, it was quite a shock when October came around and she was hit full force by the blitz for Halloween. Decorations and candy as far as the eye could see, with costumes of all shapes and sizes, the new immigrant got a crash course in the foreign holiday.

And it very quickly became one of Mimi's favorite holidays, right next to Christmas.

The Tachikawa residence was completely covered in decorations of black and orange, with pumpkins in the windows, black cat stickers on the glass panes themselves, and streamers dangling around the sills. The house was just as festive as all the buildings around it, to the point that no one would have guessed that it would be the occupants' first Halloween.

Not satisfied with simply trick-or-treating on her own, Mimi made sure that her friends from Japan would be able to share in the fun, and thanks to the Digital Gate there was no issue with going through customs, only the disorientation that came from the ten hour time difference.

Mimi fussed with the details up until the last minutes before the party, particularly her costume. She had gone all out dressing up in shades of pink with green and gold glittery accents and a floral motif that made her a dazzling looking fairy complete with a glow-in-the-dark wand.

Nearby, Palmon was in the process of fixing up her own costume, having evolved into Shutumon before putting on a cow-print vest and blue jeans with leather chaps. Topping the ensemble off with a cowboy hat on her head, she looked every bit like a girl straight out of the Wild West.

Mimi squealed at the sight of her partner. "You look great, Shutumon!"

Shutumon turned to smile at Mimi and reached up to tip her hat forward, her other hand on her hip. "You got it, partner!"

A sudden burst of light drew Mimi and Shutumon's attention to the brand new desktop computer set up in the living room. Although the first guests to arrive from gate hopping through the Digital World had gotten used to landing on their feet, they usually expected to appear on solid ground and not on a large inflatable kiddie pool filled with plastic balls.

Tailmon reacted much faster than the two children with her, and managed to scoop Hikari out of the air and land on the other side of the pool with her Chosen Child in her paws while Taichi tumbled into the ball pit with a yelp.

Taichi fumbled as he pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, getting tangled up in the large red cape he wore in the process. "What the heck is this?"

Mimi giggled and waved to her friends. "Mama and Papa put a ball pit in front of the computer instead of a chair so I wouldn't get hurt when I come crashing back home. Isn't that a great idea?"

Taichi brushed his hair back then grimaced at the slickness of the hair gel he used to put it in a very distinct smooth shape. If he wanted to look at all like Superman, he couldn't let his hair remain in its typical wild style, and he had to make good use out of the hair gel Yamato convinced him to get _somehow_. "I guess so."

"We might want to do something like that back home," Hikari said as Tailmon set her down. Both Chosen Child and Digimon had matching costumes, as Hikari was dressed up all in black with cat ears and a tail while Tailmon had darkened her fur and gloves. "Good morning, er, I mean, good evening, Mimi and Shutumon!"

"Good morning _and_ evening!" Mimi practically sang. "I love your costumes!"

Tailmon looked Shutumon over before turning to Mimi. "Thank you." It was rather strange, parading around as a virus-type version of herself, but it fit the event perfectly. The fact that she and Hikari matched made it much easier to tolerate.

Any further conversation was cut off by another light coming from the monitor, punctuating the arrival of more of their friends - directly into the ballpit. With a startled yelp, Yamato and Takeru were the next to appear, their fall cushioned by the squishy plastic balls.

Taichi couldn't help but stifle a laugh as the two blonds toppled into the pit, with Patamon landing right on top of the pile. "Hey guys. Nice landing."

Yamato, who made up the bottom of the pile, pushed himself upwards. He was dressed as a werewolf, complete with gray wolf ears on a headband, a long fuzzy gray tail attached to his belt, and clawed paw-like gloves. He turned to give Taichi a flat look. " _Thanks_."

Takeru climbed off his brother, a bit disoriented as he waded through the balls. He was dressed as an angel - or more specifically, _Angemon_. Though the blue loincloth was more of a kilt and the gold shoulderguard had become a vest with the white wings attached to him, the intent was abundantly clear. It was simply improvised, as there was no way his mother would let him walk around in nothing but a loincloth, Halloween or not.

Patamon toppled off the two boys, off balance in the large green helmet he wore, along with a shirt and vest that fit Takeru much better at the age of eight. Although the outfit was incomplete, it was clear that he was dressed in the same clothes Takeru wore back during their first adventure in the Digital World. However, this proved to be a hinderance when he fell to the floor on his back and was left flailing his feet and pinned wings in the air like a particularly strange turtle. "Ack!"

Takeru moved to pick up his partner, then set Patamon carefully on the top of his head. "You okay, Patamon?"

Patamon sighed in relief as he slumped onto the familiar comfortable perch of Takeru's head. "Yeah, thanks Takeru. Maybe we should've let Yamato drill those holes into the helmet for my wings to fit through after all."

Takeru chuckled. "That's fine. Like I said before, I didn't care if he did it or not. It's not like I'll ever wear it again." He paused before his expression grew thoughtful. "Though I guess it would've been hard to fit them through it, either way."

There was no chance for Patamon to respond when the Digital Gate opened again. Unfortunately for the newly arrived trio, they were still in the way between the the computer and the designated landing area, so when Daisuke and Chibimon appeared, all five of them crashed into the kiddie pool in a jumbled heap, sending balls flying everywhere.

Taichi couldn't hold back his laughter, though he had the good grace to look somewhat apologetic when Yamato threw him another glare.

Yamato responded by reaching up to grab Taichi by the arm, before proceeding to _yank_ him into the ballpit with them. "Ooops."

Yowling, Taichi tumbled head first back into the kiddie pool, tangling the cape around him once again when he instinctively flailed his arms. He shot Yamato an annoyed look as the blond laughed at his antics. "You think that's funny, huh? Well, how's this?" He took one of the colorful balls and bounced it off Yamato's nose.

Yamato blinked as the ball ricocheted off his face, then narrowed his eyes as he smirked. "Oh, it's _on_ now!" He reached down to grab a handful of the plastic balls and proceeded to toss them at Taichi, one after another.

Hikari darted over to help her friends out of the ball pit, making it a point to leave Yamato and Taichi where they were scuffling for now. "Are you all okay?"

Chibimon hopped down off of Takeru and Daisuke, waddling over to the side. He wore a band around his chest with a pair of blue dragon wings fastened to it, making him look like a dragon. He raised his small hands up, with a bright smile. "Happy Halloween, Hikari~!"

Hikari smiled back. "Happy Halloween, Chibimon! I really like those wings."

"Daisuke made them!" Chibimon said, excitedly. "Daisuke made them for _me_!"

"They look good on you," Takeru said, with a smile as he glanced at Daisuke. "Daisuke did a good job."

Chibimon giggled happily as he squirmed in place, covering his mouth with his little paws. "They're the _greatest_!"

"I think both your costumes look great," Hikari said with a smile.

Daisuke grunted as he clambered to his feet, his movements awkward due to his costume. With a combination of tinfoil, cardboard, paint, and fabric, he managed to put together a decent looking fake suit of armor complete with helmet and sword. Despite the fall, the praise was enough to get him beaming. "Thanks, Hikari-chan! I worked all week to get our costumes just right."

Takeru was about to comment when he saw the light of the computer flare. Realizing what was happening, he quickly grabbed Daisuke and Hikari and yanked them back. "Look out!"

While Takeru and the others were able to dart out of the way, Yamato and Taichi weren't nearly so lucky. They were so focused on their plastic ball scuffle that neither noticed the light until it was too late, and suddenly they were buried beneath Jou, Koshiro, Gomamon, and Tentomon.

Takeru blinked as he stared down at the pile of Chosen in the kiddie pool before he chuckled awkwardly. "Well, at least the pool's big enough…"

Jou was the first to climb out of the pile, dragging him out of the mess as he reached up to adjust his glasses, as well as the black shades he wore overtop them. He sported a black suit with a silver tie over a white dress shirt, though the outfit was a bit wrinkled due to his rough landing. "I-is everyone alright...?"

"Koshiro, are you alright?" Tentomon asked as he crawled out of the pile. He wasn't able to fly very well due to his own outfit, a small black leather jacket over a white dress shirt with a tie and oversized shades on his face.

Koshiro had a hard time standing with his long black coat getting tangled in his dress shoes and black pants, as well as the fact that the shades he wore darkened the room more than he anticipated. "Yeah, I'm o-kyaaa-!"

Gomamon yelped as Koshiro tripped and fell on top of him, knocking off the dark sunglasses he was wearing. "Hey! Watch it! You almost broke my neuralizer!" He picked up a small silver plastic wand with some buttons and a red reflective strip glued to it.

Yamato arched an eyebrow as he regarded the four new arrivals. "Are you all wearing the same costume?"

Koshiro grunted as he rolled off of Gomamon then sat up, struggling with his overly long coat. "Not unless one of you is supposed to be Neo or Morpheus from the Matrix."

"N-no, I'm…," Jou hesitated before he glanced to Gomamon. "W-we're from the Men in Black movie."

Yamato blinked before his expression became deadpan. "Let me guess. You couldn't decide, so you just used a suit from your closet."

Jou gawked at Yamato before he blushed, mortified. "Errrmm..."

Gomamon raised his makeshift neuralizer as he readjusted his shades with the other paw. "Sir, look into the red light. You saw nothing but two stylish dudes in glasses dressed as Agent J and Agent G who kick alien butts all across the universe."

"What about _Kaiser_ butts?" Chibimon asked as he approached the baby pool and stared up at Gomamon.

Gomamon waved the neuralizer in Chibimon's direction. "No one looks more like an alien than the Digimon Kaiser."

"You should probably get out of the way, before anyone else-" Shutumon pointed out before she paused as the laptop began to glow. "Ooops, too late!"

The Chosen in the pool barely had enough time to recognize was about to happen and put up a small struggle before the glow intensified and the next visitor appeared - Ken. As soon as he appeared, the boy genius landed on the large pile of people with a squeak, falling forward so that his small gold diadem fell off his head and skidded across the floor. He was dressed as royalty, with a long white cape with silver lining and a matching white tunic, pants, and gloves with intricate gold embroidery. His legs dangled helplessly, wearing knee-high boots that completed the outfit. "A-ah, e-excuse me-!"

Wormmon flopped out of Ken's arms and into the pool, the bells on his jester hat jingling all the way. He flailed around upside-down in the balls before pulling himself upright, revealing that he had two diamonds painted along the edges of his eyes to create a faux domino mask. "Ken-chan! Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine-!" Ken squeaked as he struggled to climb off of Jou and Koshiro, both of whom had broken his fall. It was hard to maneuver with his balance thrown off by the plastic balls. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't… ack!"

Koshiro grunted as he squirmed out from underneath Ken. "It's fine, it's fine…"

"Let me help, er, I mean," Daisuke said before coughing until his voice grew satisfyingly deep and dramatic. "I'll save you!"

With a flourish of his cape, Daisuke dashed over towards the pool for a dramatic rescue, only to slip on one of the balls that had fallen out, sending him crashing on top of the ever growing pile of bodies.

Takeru blinked before he turned to Hikari, an amused smile on his face, before he quickly hurried over to help rescue the other Chosen before the situation got any worse.

Unfortunately, that was when the computer began to glow, and two more bodies crashed into the now overflowing inflatable pool and knocked Takeru in as well.

Miyako shrieked and dropped her bubble pipe and magnifying glass as she found herself sandwiched between Iori and Daisuke. Her Sherlock Holmes costume, complete with distinctive hat, suddenly became a hinderance, as the thick layered coat got tangled with the other long garments that her fellow Chosen Children wore. "What the heck is everyone doing playing in a ball pit where we're supposed to be warping in?!"

Iori struggled to find purchase, wearing an outfit that was identical to the one that occasionally appeared on him in the Digital World. He was the very image of a little samurai, with even his usual bokken attached to his side. "T-this is quite dangerous…"

"It's not _intentional_!" Yamato groaned from the bottom of the pile, and he reached over to push at Taichi. "I'm getting crushed!"

Taichi grunted as he squirmed ineffectively against Yamato and the others on top of him. "Same here! Move it, guys, before-!"

A blast of light signalled the arrival of the last members of their group - Sora and her partner, Piyomon. The arrival of the last Chosen Child was the final straw, and as she slammed into the already enormous pile, all the children fell forward out of the pool and sprawled across the floor. Sora cried out as she bounced off of Miyako's backside, then veered off to the right and fell directly on Taichi, her red changshan with white and gold roses raising up slightly to reveal her red leggings underneath.

Piyomon flapped her wings to slow her descent, sending the red and yellow streamers tied to her wings and tail flying in the breeze she stirred up, as she carefully landed beside the pool. "Are you okay, Sora?"

"I-I'm fine, I think," Sora said as she grimaced, then paused and stared down at Taichi. She squeaked and quickly got to her feet, pulling down her changshan. "T-Taichi-!"

Taichi's eyes were wide and his face was a brilliant shade of red by what he had seen, which was far more than he ever expected. Sora's scandalized cry made him jerk upward, waving his hands as though warding off danger. "I-I didn't see your panties, Sora, I swear!"

Sora's face exploded in red as she clenched her fists. " _Taichi-_!"

Shutumon hummed thoughtfully before she turned to Mimi. "Maybe we should've scheduled times for everyone to show up."

"That probably would have helped," Tailmon said with a sigh before she approached the fallen Chosen. She and the others lucky enough not to have been caught in the wreckage went about helping their comrades back to their feet, and soon enough everyone was gathering up the plastic balls and putting them back in the now battered pool before settling down in the living room to recover.

Ken sighed heavily as he slumped in the sofa. "Goodness, I didn't expect _that_ …"

"Good thing Mama and Papa bought the heavy-duty pool," Mimi said as she looked around at her friends. "Otherwise, it would've probably burst from all of you jumping into it at once like that."

Miyako held up a quaking finger as she readjusted her glasses. "From now on, we either all meet up _in the real world_ before gating, or in the Digital World. I am _not_ going to get squashed like that again." She shoved her bubble pipe into her mouth, biting down hard onto the end of it before huffing out a plume of bubbles.

"Hindsight is 20/20, or something like that," Takeru said as he picked up Ken's diadem off the floor before handing it to the other boy. "That's a really impressive costume, Ken."

Ken accepted the diadem as he blushed lightly. "A-ah, thank you. It's actually a costume I wore for a commercial once, so… I had to get my manager's permission to wear it." Tentatively, he placed diadem back on his head, fitting it in the proper position before he glanced around at the others. "I feel kind of awkward wearing it, I'll admit."

"It was the best costume ever!" Wormmon cheered as he waved his digits in the air. "There were these professional tailors that measured Ken-chan for it and made it just for him so he could be prince charming! Most of the commercials Ken-chan is in already have something for him to wear, but this one-"

"Oh, I know!" Daisuke gasped as he lightly smacked his palm with his fist. "That was that commercial for Enchanted Delight perfume that had you waking up sleeping beauty by kissing her hand and then the thorn walls turned into doves and a you and the princess riding off into the sunset in a corvette with a unicorn horn on the front of it; or something?" He paused to scratch his cheek as his eyes drifted upward. "It was a weird commercial, come to think of it."

Ken had the good sense to look sheepish. "I'll admit, I'm not really sure what _any_ of that had to do with me… or any of the other commercials, honestly. I can understand the computer ones, but…" He trailed off before shrugging helplessly. "My manager told me to just go with it, so I did."

"A lot of directors have weird ideas," Wormmon said, "but Ken-chan is a professional."

"It looks great, Ken," Hikari said, smiling. "It makes me feel like I should've put a little more effort into my costume than cat ears and a tail over a black sweater and pants."

"Or just throwing on a suit," Yamato said with a sly smile as he glanced at Jou, who fidgeted anxiously.

"N-no, that's fine!" Ken said as he raised his hands. "I think your outfits are really great!"

Daisuke puffed his chest out like a proud peacock. "You think so?"

"Thanks, Ken!" Mimi chirped, overflowing with energy. "I think everyone looks great too, so let's all get going to the party before Wallace starts wondering what's taking us so long."

"Where exactly are we going, anyway?" Yamato asked. "And is it really okay that we're showing up with our _Digimon_?"

"Oh, it's fine!" Shutumon said, brightly. "Wallace knows all about us, and he's really excited to meet you all!"

" _All_ of my friends here in America can't wait to meet you!" Mimi said, bouncing in place before pumping her arms up into the air. "We're going to be the guests of honor of the party, so let's go, go, go!"

All of the Chosen shared uneasy looks with each other, but ultimately decided to trust Mimi's judgment in the matter. After gathering themselves up and bidding goodbye to Mimi's parents, the group slipped out into the crisp October dusk, the sun only barely beginning to set in the sky.

"It's so weird to see it nearly night here, when it's morning in Japan," Takeru said as he looked up at the sky. It must have been how Mimi felt every time she had to gate to Japan, and really made him appreciate what she had to go through to help them.

Hikari breathed deep of the crisp autumn air as colorful leaves fell all around them. Because Mimi's house was in an upscale suburban neighborhood, there were plenty of large well manicured lawns, glowing jack-o-lanterns, and spooky Halloween decorations everywhere. The sight of other children dressed in costume starting to emerge from their houses with bags ready to stuff with candy made her smile. "It's so interesting how different America and Japan are. Even the air smells different."

Mimi giggled. "If you like the smell of autumn leaves, you'll _love_ pumpkin spice."

Sora smiled before she turned to look at Shutumon. After a moment, she returned her attention to Mimi. "By the way, I notice that Palmon's evolved to Shutumon. Is that really okay? Won't the Digimental run out of energy?"

Mimi idly waved her glittery wand back and forth with a pleased expression. "I already thought of that. You know how I have to gate to the Digital World anyway to get to Japan and back? I just gate to the temple where we found your Digimental and place it on the pedestal for a little while, and it charges back up again. You should really see it sometime; it's such a pretty light show when it's charging up."

Sora blinked. "Oh, really?"

Ken turned to stare at Mimi for several moments, then furrowed his brow. "That… sounds a little dangerous. Just… be careful, alright?"

"It's fine, it's fine~!" Mimi practically sang. "No Digimon ever come there, and I have Palmon with me. I don't even think the Digimon Kaiser knows the place exists, so it's perfectly safe."

Ken looked like he wanted to argue, but then he seemed to decide to let the matter drop. "I'll trust your judgment, senpai."

Finally, the group reached their destination at a gate outside of a long driveway, and beyond that was the largest house the Chosen Children had ever seen. The house was at least four stories high, with long wings of rooms and a large immaculately cared for lawn. Creepy music and the sound of an occasional scream or evil laugh floated on the wind as fog rolled across the ground. The lights lining the driveway illuminated countless headstones, glowing pumpkins expertly carved into ghastly faces, and people wearing ghoulish costumes who frightened a few other kids who were closer to the mansion doors.

Mimi hummed despite the creepy atmosphere as she turned on the intercom beside the closed gate. "[Hi, Wallace, it's Mimi~!]" she said in English, surprising most of the other Chosen with how easily the words came. "[I brought all my friends here, so open the gate pretty please~?]"

There was a pause before a short crackle of static thrummed through the intercom before the voice of a cheerful boy replied in English as well. "[You made it! Come on in, Mimi.]"

The lock on the gates clicked before slowly swinging open automatically, allowing the Chosen to enter the property of a magnificently opulent home.

Takeru glanced about the property with wide eyes, then turned to Hikari. "Mimi knows some incredible people, doesn't she?"

Hikari nodded, barely able to take her gaze away from the lavish Halloween decorations. "It's amazing…"

Daisuke chuckled with a slight awkward note. "Hah, I bet Ken could come up with a better Halloween party than this."

"Yup!" Wormmon chirped happily.

Ken paused at that before his cheeks tinted slightly. "A-ah, I… well, I'm sure it's still rather nice… and there seems to be a lot of people here."

Miyako leaned over to mock whisper near Ken's ear. "If you need a crowbar to pry Daisuke's lips from your butt, just ask Iori to borrow his bokken."

Daisuke whipped his head around to pierce Miyako with a glare, his face flushed with anger. "What did you say, Inoe?!"

Taichi held up a hand. "Now, now, let's not fight. We're guests here and we don't want to get kicked out, right?"

Ken's blush deepened as he awkwardly glanced between Miyako and Daisuke, then looked down at Wormmon. "P-please don't argue on my account, it's fine-!"

"Right, right," Mimi said, still cheerful. "Wallace is the most popular boy in my school, and he's super friendly and nice. Let's all just get along while we're here, okay?"

"Of course," Miyako said as she slid her glasses upward.

Daisuke grunted then looked away with a snort. "Fine."

"So your whole school will be here?" Sora asked with wide eyes. She then turned to Koshiro. "This won't… cause any problems, will it?"

Koshiro rubbed the back of his head and let out a quiet hum. "Well… there hasn't been a lot of news about what happened with Diablomon in America as far as I could find out, so it's unlikely people here know what we look like."

"It's fine, it's fine," Mimi said as she gave Sora a little dismissive wave. "Like I said, Wallace already knows about Digimon; he's one of the kids that sent emails while Taichi and Yamato were fighting Diablomon with Agumon and Gabumon. He wouldn't have let me invite all of you if he thought our Digimon might cause problems."

"I'm more worried about the police," Sora murmured before she gave a small shake of her head. "W-well, it's Halloween, so it's more than likely that even if they _would_ have cared, they wouldn't realize it was real."

"Right," Yamato said with a nod as he looked around at the other children wearing costumes as the Chosen approached the front door. "Today's really the only day we could get away with it."

Sora hummed at that but opted not to press further. While she was still a bit leery about the whole thing, the others seemed to have given it enough thought. After all, they _were_ in America. If they were to get in trouble for anything, it'd be for skipping customs and suddenly appearing in their country.

"I'd be more concerned about how we're going to _communicate_ ," Yamato continued before he looked at the others. "How's everyone's English?"

Sora paused at that as her eyes opened wide. "Eh? Ah..."

"We already know that _Mimi_ can speak with them just fine, but what about everyone else?" Yamato asked.

"I'm fluent in English," Ken said as he looked at the others. He was actually fluent in several languages, but he felt awkward enough just mentioning the one without bringing attention to the rest.

"I know a little bit," Koshiro said with uncertainty. "Miyako and I speak with a lot of people from different countries in the chatroom about Digimon, but a lot of them don't speak Japanese and online translators aren't that good, so we're trying to use English as a common language for all of us since it's most widely used."

Miyako let out a quiet frustrated huff. "Even though it's structured completely _backwards_. It's not that easy to learn, you know."

"I'm… passing my English class," Takeru said, slowly. Of course, passing tests and holding a conversation with a native speaker were two different things.

"Same here," Hikari said as she looked between the Chosen Children she took classes with. "I don't think any of us is doing too badly in school right now, except…"

Taichi grimaced, his cheeks turning hot. "You don't have to bring that up again, Hikari. I got an earful enough from Mom and Dad about my last test."

Hikari giggled quietly and stuck out her tongue briefly. "Sorry."

Jou reached up to fidget with his glasses. "I… I believe I could hold a conversation!" He felt awkward not saying it, especially in front of his juniors. He had been taking numerous English classes, especially with so many medical books being available in other languages, and admitting that he barely understood it sounded like a failure.

"So, we'll leave the heavy talking to Mimi and Ken," Yamato said, with a nod. "The rest of us can give it our best shot, and they'll cover for us if we screw up."

As the Chosen arrived at the front door, all further conversation was cut off as the entrance suddenly swung open wide. The assembled children and their Digimon all stopped to stare as a young man their age appeared in the doorway. A boy with short, scruffy blond hair, blue eyes, and a dazzling smile, he wore a tuxedo with a long cape and false fangs. He threw his cape open in a grandiose display as he postured in front of them. "[Good eeeeeveeening, and velcome… _velcome_ to my _humble_ abode.]"

Ken had a stunned look on his face as he stared at the young man for several moments, before he furrowed his brow. The way the boy mangled the pronunciation of some of the words was tricky to parse from another language, even for someone as intelligent as him. "[Thank… you for the invitation…]"

Taichi stared blankly at the boy then gave an awkward half-wave. "[Good… moaning?]"

Mimi stifled a giggle behind her hand. "It's [good evening], but that's actually kind of appropriate, given it's Halloween."

Taichi blinked. "Huh? What's appropriate?"

The blond in the vampire costume bowed slightly as he held his cape to his breast, speaking in Japanese. "Good morning, my name is Wallace Barton. Nice to meet you."

Mimi giggled as she clasped her hands together. "[You look great, Wallace]!" She then gestured to the other Chosen with her right hand. "[These are all my friends I told you about]!"

"[Thank you, thank you]," Wallace bowed again to Mimi, a bit deeper this time with a flourish of his hands, before he straightened up and turned to face the other Chosen, a bright smile on his face. He turned to gesture inside with his left hand, using his cape to emphasize the motion. "[Come in, and enjoy yourselves. Any friend of Mimi's is a friend of mine.]"

Taichi blinked slowly before shaking his head then looking at his friends. "Hoo boy, this is going to be interesting…"

As the Chosen were welcomed inside, the Japanese children did their best to enjoy the party despite the language barrier and culture shock. The fact that the other party-goers were accepting and accommodating helped quite a bit, resulting in an awkward but pleasant atmosphere.

Yamato was already making himself fairly popular, as unintentional as it was, by the large television set up where a wide variety of games were set up for the children to enjoy. One of which happened to be a music playing game, involving a special guitar. Even with his costume, Yamato had no trouble adjusting to the setup and playing the game, other children standing around and watching in amazement. After all, he didn't need to know English to understand the mechanics - and the fact that it was an import of a game from Japan helped considerably.

Sora giggled as she watched, clapping her hands as Piyomon danced from side to side next to her. "You're doing great, Yamato!"

"Damn, you're good," Taichi said with a low, impressed whistle. "I was going to challenge your high score, but I haven't gotten past hard mode yet and you're acing mega brutal. No one here is going to even come close to beating you."

Yamato grinned as he continued to play, his eyes focused on the screen. "Looks like the hiatus hasn't made me _too_ rusty!"

Ken held a cup of punch as he watched Yamato, taking a small sip before he glanced over to the food tables. He couldn't help but smile awkwardly at the sight of all the Chosen's Digimon scarfing down the holiday treats, from decorated cupcakes to candy and pumpkin-related food. He was thankful that there seemed to be enough, no doubt because Wallace had been forewarned, but it was still somewhat embarrassing to see other guests gawking at the slovenly scarfing. "Well, everyone seems to be having fun."

Jou adjusted his glasses as he stood by Ken, holding Gomamon with one arm wrapped around the Digimon's waist. "It's a good experience. Cultural exchange is always important to your education!"

Ken gave Jou a lopsided grin. "Does it really count as 'cultural exchange' if the game originally _came_ from Japan?"

Jou paused at that, then furrowed his brow, faltering for a moment before he could manage a response. "W-well, the very fact that it's even here means that an exchange happened!"

Ken chuckled as he nodded. "True enough. I was really surprised to see it. It must not have been cheap to import… but somehow, I don't think money was an issue." He knew enough rich, privileged children from his time in school to have a good idea what had happened. He doubted America and Japan were too different when it came to such things.

The unique Halloween-themed games interested Mimi more than the video games, particularly since there were prizes involved. One of the games called 'walk the web' had wide white tape marked on the floor in the shape of a large spider web with a paper mache pumpkin sitting at the center with a mystery prize hidden inside. Though there was no risk of getting injured when falling, she had to be careful not to step off the edge of the tape, which was barely larger than her foot, as doing so meant losing. The fact that she had to avoid touching large plastic spiders placed periodically in places on the tape to make it like a giant maze and occasionally bend down to pick up a certain number of miniature candies before she could claim the pumpkin made the balancing act even more tricky.

Mimi wobbled precariously as she tried to stay on the tape while reaching down for a small chocolate bar without bending over too far. She regretted picking a costume with such a short skirt at that moment, but she was determined to win, especially with Shutumon cheering her on. Once she had the very edge of the wrapper pinched between her fingers, she let out a triumphant cheer and raised it above her head after she straightened back up.

The applause of other guests around her turned into laughter as Wallace took that moment of inattention to sneak up behind Mimi and lightly bite her on the neck with his fake vampire fangs. The Chosen of Purity let out a high-pitched shriek at the unexpected attack and instantly whipped around to whack the attacker with the candybar before she realized what had happened.

"Wallace!" Mimi said in a scandalized tone with flushed cheeks as she whacked Wallace with the candybar again. "[You pervert! Don't you know you shouldn't sneak up on girls or bite them like that?]"

Wallace shielded his face and backed away in mock pain. "[Ah, candy, my one weakness!]" However, he couldn't pretend for long, as he broke down into giggles."[Sorry, Mimi, but vampires need blood of pure maidens to live, you know.]"

"[There's plenty of blood punch at the buffet table,]" Mimi huffed, then a moment later she realized that her feet were placed on both sides of the tape and huffed. "[And you made me lose the game too!]"

"Sorry, sorry," Wallace chuckled. "[How about you get a free extra turn to try again? Just wait until more candy gets placed on the web and have at it.]"

Mimi folded her arms, but reluctantly went back to the starting line. "[Okay, fine, but don't you do that again! I'm going to win that prize for sure this time.]"

Wallace laughed as he moved aside so a butler in a Frankenstein's monster outfit could place a few candy bars between the web. "Go, Mimi! You can do it!"

"Go for it, Mimi!" Shutumon cheered as she raised her hands skyward. While she had been tempted to swoop in and help her partner, she at least had the sense to know it'd be cheating. Instead, she could only cheer from the sidelines.

Wallace hung around to watch Mimi play a little longer before he spied his next target at the buffet table. He grinned wickedly as he slipped away, moving quietly behind the cute girl with purple hair in the detective outfit.

Miyako eyed one punch bowl, which had plastic eyeballs floating in a bright red liquid, and second bowl that was full of a blue beverage that was decorated with plastic snakes. The place cards set beside the bowls did little to help her decide which drink to choose. "'Blood' or 'brain juice', huh?" She picked up one of the cards to see if there were ingredients printed on the back to give her a better idea of what she was actually choosing to drink.

Iori stood nearby, watching Miyako as she fussed over the drinks. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes and turned his head just in time to see Wallace drawing closer. The little samurai's expression didn't give away his thoughts at first, but as their American host drew closer to Miyako, Iori's eyes suddenly narrowed into a piercing stare.

Wallace was almost in position to bite when he suddenly felt a chill run through him as though someone had walked over his grave. Slowly, he turned to find Iori looking right at him with a gaze that was sharper than any sword.

While Iori's expression itself wasn't unfriendly in and of itself, his eyes bore into Wallace with an intensity that the American boy had never experienced before. No words were said, but none needed to be. Iori's eyes alone spoke volumes, with promises of consequences that would make the very earth itself shake in terror. It was enough that Wallace instinctively stepped back before retreating to the other side of the room, increasing the distance between himself, Iori, and the unaware Miyako.

It wasn't until Wallace was on the other side of the room that Iori's gaze finally relented, the young man returning to his stoic guard over the bespectacled Chosen. The American boy stared back at Iori before he let out a relieved sigh, then decided to choose a safer target for his vampiric intentions.

While his attention first went to Hikari, it was obvious that she wouldn't be any safer of a target. Although was busy watching Yamato with her brother, Tailmon stood by as a silent sentinel rather than gorge herself on food like most of the other Digimon. More than that, both Takeru and Daisuke stood on either side of her and the three were engaged in a lively discussion. With so many people around her, there'd be no way to get close to Hikari without drawing attention. And if Iori's reaction was anything to go by, he'd rather avoid a repeat of a disapproving male protector silently promising pain.

That meant his only other option was the pretty girl with indigo hair by one of the many punch bowls, one far from Iori and Miyako. The only other Chosen nearby was Jou, who just left the table, leaving Wallace's new target unattended and unaware.

Ken watched the other Chosen as he sipped his punch, thankful for the moment of quiet. Parties always made him anxious due the constant sound and activity around him. Still, things were a lot less nerve-wrecking than he thought they would be.

No sooner had Ken finished that thought when he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind as a pair plastic fangs poked against his neck. With an embarrassingly loud squeak, he dropped the cup of punch and turned a vivid shade of red as he gawked at the boy who had gotten the drop on the Digimon Kaiser.

"Thank you for the meal, princess," Wallace said with a sly grin and a wink.

"E-eh… eh?" Ken gaped at Wallace, his face bright red as he clasped a hand over his neck. He was thoroughly thunderstruck, mortification flooding him as it dawned on him what had happened and _why_.

"Hey!" Daisuke shouted as he hurried over. "What're you doing kissing Ken's neck in front of everybody like that!?"

Wallace blinked blankly at Daisuke, as his rapid fire Japanese was too much for him to figure out with his limited knowledge. He looked from Daisuke's knight outfit to Ken's regal attire and snickered softly. "Date?"

Ken jerked as his blush deepened, and his voice rose considerably in pitch. "D-d-d-d-d-date-!?"

Daisuke looked back and forth between the two, his eyes widening. "What? You're asking Ken out on a _date_?!"

"[Your girlfriend is so cute,]" Wallace said, grinning at Daisuke to diffuse the situation. "[I'm jealous.]"

Daisuke looked from Ken to Wallace and back, noticing the heavy blush gracing his friend's cheeks. "Uh… wait, is this something I shouldn't have interrupted, or…?"

Ken jerked and whirled to stare at Daisuke, gaping. His blush could not possibly turn any darker as it spread down his neck, and he raised both of his hands up defensively and shook them vigorously. "N-no! No! No-no-no-no-no! I… he just… he thinks I'm a… he _bit_ me and…!"

"[Don't worry,]" Wallace said, "[I won't steal your girlfriend away from you.]" He patted Daisuke on the shoulder with a broad smile. "[I'm a vampire and I just needed a pure young maiden's blood to sustain me through the night. I have a weakness for]..." He paused for a moment to remember the right word. "Sexy, sexy."

Daisuke's eyes crossed for a moment as he tried to process the conversation with his limited English and the fragmented stammering from Ken. "So… you're a… what do they call a gay guy in English?" He turned to his friend with widening eyes. "Oh my gosh, Ken, a gay guy from America just hit on you! I'll bet he's asking you to go to a gay bar with him!"

Ken waved his hand in front of his nose, hissing through his teeth. "K-k-keep it down! Someone else is going to-"

"What's this about a gay bar?" Takeru asked as he approached the two boys, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "What's going on?"

Ken grimaced before he reached up to cover his face, quivering with embarrassment. "Oh God…"

Daisuke turned to Takeru, dumbfounded as he pointed at Wallace. "Mimi's American friend is gay and kissed Ken on the neck and asked him out on a date to a gay bar because he thinks Ken is sexy. I thought it was the French that kissed and hit on strangers, not Americans."

Takeru made a show of slowly cocking an eyebrow as he fixed Daisuke with a pointed stare. "I'd think my grandfather would have mentioned something like that before…"

Daisuke blinked. "Oh, your grandpa's French?" He hummed and rubbed his chin. "I guess it's just Americans then."

"I-it's not… I just…!" Ken sputtered. While he wanted to tell them what was really happening, somehow admitting that he had been mistaken for a girl was even _worse_ than the current misunderstanding. Worse still was the fact that he, _the Digimon Kaiser_ of all people had been caught completely unawares by a spoiled rich brat. "C-can we just drop it, please!?"

Daisuke put his hand on Ken's shoulder, his expression sympathetic. "It's okay, Ken. No one is going to think anything bad of you just because you got hit on by a gay guy. You're just so awesome, even guys can't hold themselves back from falling for you!"

The conversation was utterly lost on Wallace, who smiled as he caught only the occasional word or small phrase that did little to help him understand just what the Chosen were saying. "Enjoying the party?"

Daisuke eyed Wallace before nodding. "Yeah, but I don't think Ken is interested in going out with you to a gay bar or anyplace else, so why don't you go flirt with someone else for a while?"

Wallace held up his hands placidly with a chuckle. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not… [ah darn, what was it…] Cute Ken yours taking to date."

Daisuke raised his finger to point at Wallace, about to make another comment when the words filtered through, causing his arm to drop. "Wait… you think _I'm_ gay too?" He jerked back, eyes widening. "You want us to go to a gay bar together?!"

Wallace tilted his head slightly at the reaction then scratched his head. "Ah… [this is really awkward without a translator.]" He turned to seek out Mimi. "[Hey, Mimi, can you tell your friend I'm not trying to steal his girlfriend please?]"

Mimi walked over from the web game carrying her prize paper mache pumpkin with the top already torn open then placed back haphazardly onto its slightly mangled form. She gave Wallace a chastising look and wagged her finger. "[Were you being a pervert again, Wallace?]"

Wallace feigned innocence."[Vampires need the blood of pure maidens to survive you know.]"

Mimi looked at the group before focusing on Takeru. "Don't mind Wallace. He's a flirt, but he's harmless. I'll go talk to Hikari about it and reassure her he won't do it again."

"Hikari?" Takeru blinked, then furrowed his brow. "No, apparently he did something to Ken." He gestured towards the boy genius, who stood quivering with his face still covered. "Something about a gay bar?"

" _Could we please drop it_?" Ken asked, through his muffled hands. It was a futile plea, but it was all he could muster at that point as he wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. He couldn't even face Wormmon, who had noticed his discomfort and came to check on him. The only silver lining out of the entire situation was the fact that FlaWizarmon and Witchmon weren't there and would never find out about it. If the last time he was mistaken for a girl was any indication, the two would have an absolute _field day_. He'd _never_ hear the end of it.

Mimi blinked before she turned to Wallace. "[What did you do?]"

"[I fed off this pure young maiden,]" Wallace said before he surprised Ken with a peck on the cheek. "[Like so.]"

Ken jerked as his eyes widened again and he clasped both of his hands over his cheeks, stiffening ramrod straight. "Eep-!" To make his mortification even worse, Wallace was snickering at his reaction.

"See?" Daisuke asked as he looked to Takeru. "That gay guy did that before to Ken's neck too!" He shot Wallace a glare, only to get a raspberry in return. "Mimi, tell this guy Ken's not interested in going on a date to a gay bar, and neither am I."

Mimi stared at the boys for a long moment as the situation sank in. She tried to keep her composure, but it was just too much and she wound up doubling over with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Yamato asked and the rest of the Chosen approached, drawn by the commotion. Even other party-goers were watching, though they kept their distance. "What's happening?"

"Did we miss something good?" Taichi asked, eager for more entertainment.

It was all too much for Ken. Not only had he been bitten - no, _kissed_ \- twice by some perverted idiot that couldn't speak more than a few phrases of Japanese, but that insect had the gall to do it in front of his fr… the Chosen Children. Worse still, he couldn't do anything about it, as all the eyes boring into him left him torn between wanting to crawl into a hole and bury himself and the violent urge to draw his whip and strike all of them until no one would laugh at him ever again.

"P-please excuse me," Ken finally forced out, before he attempted to bolt. However, he didn't get far before Mimi snagged him, struggling to remain standing as she laughed so hard she was crying.

It was difficult, but somehow Mimi managed to speak amidst her peals of laughter. "Daisuke thinks Wallace is gay, and Wallace thinks Ken is a gi-"

Ken whirled to clasp his shaking hands over Mimi's mouth, silencing her. "I-it's nothing! P-please e-enjoy the rest of the party!"

Despite being cut off, Mimi couldn't help but laugh all the more from Ken's obvious mortification.

Wallace scratched his head as he wondered if there was something he was missing due to cultural differences.

"[Ken is a boy,]" Miyako said as she approached, her arms folded before her with her pipe in her mouth. Her voice was icy as her gaze pierced through Wallace. "[And kissing people without their permission is sexual assault.]"

Koshiro looked over at Miyako uneasily. "[I don't think 'sexual assault' is the right term for it.]"

Miyako merely shrugged, her gaze never leaving Wallace.

Wallace found himself growing even more uneasy than even when Iori stared him down, particularly since the other boy was looming behind Miyako. "[N-now hold on, I didn't mean anything by it.]"

Miyako pointed her magnifying glass at Wallace as she blew some bubbles from her pipe. "[Don't do it again.]"

"[Yes ma'am,]" Wallace said with an awkward chuckle.

Miyako paused for a moment before her lips curled into a wicked grin. "[And everyone thinks you are gay.]"

Wallace went silent for a moment before his eyes widened drastically. "[Wait, what?]"

"[I said Ken was a boy. Did you miss it?]" Miyako asked with false sweetness.

Wallace turned to gawk at Ken and Mimi as the other boy released the still giggling girl.

"[It's true,]" Mimi said as she wiped her face.

Ken couldn't meet Wallace's gaze, still embarrassed. "[I-it's fine, so...]"

"I keep hearing the word 'boy' over and over," Yamato said as he glanced to Taichi.

Taichi furrowed his brow. "I'm starting to feel left out here."

Sora hummed her agreement, glancing between Ken, Mimi, Wallace, and Miyako before she glanced at the other Chosen to see their clueless expressions. She really did to pay more attention in her English class, it seemed.

Wallace gaped at Ken in silence for several moments as it dawned on him fully what had happened, with the genius' mortified expression confirming it, before he reached his hands skyward as he dropped to his knees.

"[ _Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_!]"


	8. Story 8 - Takeru, Patamon, Yamato

**Night Terrors**

* * *

 _The atmosphere was heavy, thick and overbearing like a threatening storm cloud. It was enough to unsettle the young Takeru, who fidgeted with unease as he held his mother's hand in a vice._

 _Takeru frowned as he looked at his father, the elder Ishida standing several feet from Takeru with an unreadable expression. Beside Hiroaki was a young Yamato, a grimace twisting his face as he stood obediently by their father._

" _What's going on?" Takeru asked, his voice dazed. The scenario was familiar,_ _ **painfully**_ _familiar, and yet their surroundings were completely foreign. A thick fog obstructed everything except for the Chosen of Hope, Yamato, and their parents, leaving the fractured family as the only occupants of the endless gray._

 _Rather than responding to his son, Hiroaki suddenly turned on his heels and began to walk away. Yamato lingered for a moment before he quickly followed after the retreating man._

" _Wh… wait!" Takeru said as a jolt of panic surged through him. "Dad? Yamato?!" He reached out towards them as the familiar sense of loss flooded him - the same loss he felt the_ _ **first**_ _time they left him, during the divorce."Where are you-?!"_

" _...It's not fair."_

 _Takeru paused as his mother's voice pierced his thoughts, cold and distant. He looked up to stare at her, startled to see Natsuko glaring after Hiroaki and Yamato. Her jaw was clenched tight, her eyes hard as steel._

" _Not... fair?" Takeru repeated, his voice tentative._

" _Why am I the one stuck with you?" Natsuko asked. "Do they really think I have nothing better to do? Because I'm a_ _ **woman**_ _?"_

 _Takeru gaped at his mother, his face going pale as his eyes became wide like saucers._

" _I didn't ask for this," Natsuko continued, despite her son's stricken reaction. "I already raised one child, and he's the one getting the benefit. Now I have to waste my time doing it_ _ **again**_ _?_ _ **Alone**_ _?"_

" _M-Mom, I…," Takeru stammered, tears forming. "I'm_ _ **sorr**_ _-"_

 _Natsuko finally turned her head to glare at Takeru, hatred consuming her stern features. Even the horrified expression of her child didn't dull the intensity of her loathing._ _ **"I should never have given birth to you."**_

Takeru jerked awake with a start, sitting up with a gasp. He barely registered the fact that he had sent Patamon tumbling, his mother's voice ringing in his ears. His skin had grown slick with sweat despite feeling chilled to his very core, and his lungs ached as if he had been holding his breath. He panted heavily, gulping down air as his room slowly came in to focus.

After several moments, the Chosen of Hope gave a small shudder and slumped forward. His hand instinctively went to grasp at his shoulder, which throbbed violently beneath the gray taint that marred his skin.

"Takeru?" Patamon landed on the bed beside his Chosen, staring up at him with obvious concern. "Is it your shoulder again?"

Takeru grit his teeth as he let out a soft hiss. "I-it's fine… I'm fine…"

Patamon frowned, his ears drooping slightly. Even though he wanted to press the subject, he knew enough by now that it'd only make Takeru even more defensive. "Takeru…"

Takeru didn't look at Patamon, instead glancing to his alarm clock. He grimaced at the sight - a neon green 2:21 am on proud display. It was far too early to be awake, but still late enough that he knew the next day at school would suffer for it.

Turning, Takeru slid his feet over the side of his bed. He pulled back his blankets to expose his white and green striped pajamas to the night air before he ventured through his room towards the door.

"Takeru?" Patamon repeated the Chosen Child's name, inquisitively.

"I'm just… getting a drink of water," Takeru murmured, his voice rough, before he proceeded through the doorway without waiting for a response. "I'm fine."

Patamon hesitated before he crouched, fanning his wings and then taking flight to follow after his partner.

Takeru slowly made his way to the kitchen, his footsteps heavy. While the pain had subsided, it still left him feeling _heavy_ , as if every motion was a chore. It took far more energy than it should have to enter the kitchen, and the Chosen of Hope unceremoniously flopped down in to one of the chairs.

Takeru closed his eyes before he propped his elbows on the table, covering his face with his hands as he let out a heavy sigh. He didn't even remove them to acknowledge Patamon as the Digimon landed on the table nearby. He was certain his partner's face would be filled with concern, and he quite frankly didn't want to see it.

The Chosen of Hope sat at the table in silence, his partner offering silent support nearby. After several moments, the sound of footsteps broke the silence. While soft, there were no other sounds to stifle them, leading to each step echoing loudly through the kitchen.

Takeru kept his eyes covered, listening. He heard the footsteps head over to the refrigerator before opening it. Jostling signalled that something had been removed, along with a cabinet creaking open seconds before the Chosen of Hope could hear liquid being poured - milk, if he were to hazard a guess.

Soon enough, his suspicions were confirmed when a glass of milk slid in to view under his hands, guided by the familiar hand of Yamato.

Takeru stared at the glass for a moment before he sighed heavily. "You should be in bed."

"So should you," Yamato replied as he sat down at the table opposite his brother. "And yet, here we are."

"You don't need to do this." Takeru said.

"No, I don't," Yamato agreed. "But I did it anyway."

Takeru hesitated for several moments before he let out another sigh, finally lowering his hands to accept the glass of milk in front of him. "I'm fine. It's not a big deal."

"Doesn't matter," Yamato said with a shrug, leaning back in his chair as he draped his arm over the back. He wore his own sleeping clothes, a loose white tank top over blue boxer shorts.

Takeru took a sip of his milk before setting the glass down, then let out a low chuckle. "You're really annoying, you know that?"

"Yep," Yamato said, grinning lopsidedly. "Can't help it. It's genetic."

"Which means I'm really annoying too," Takeru said, his smile becoming wry as he looked down at his glass. "Poor Mom."

"Yeah," Yamato agreed. "But she'll manage."


	9. Story 9 - Daisuke, Ken

"You really don't need to do this, Daisuke," Ken said as he sat at the kitchen table, ever the polite guest. He watched as Daisuke chopped up some fish with a knife, showing skill that implied experience. Behind them, Chibimon scurried about along the countertop, gathering pots, pans, and bowls in an effort to assist his partner.

"This is the only way I can think to pay you back for all the times you took me out to eat," Daisuke said as he continued to work, watching carefully lest he add a finger into his recipe.

"I didn't take you out expecting anything in return-" Ken began to protest, prompting Daisuke to interrupt with a shake of his head.

"I know, I'm just sayin'..." Daisuke said before he stopped chopping to finally look up to Ken. "But don't you dare complain about eating a meal cooked by a _guy,_ you got it!?"

"Why would I?" Ken asked, an amused smile flickering across his face. "I cook as well, remember? You all ate my food during the Odaiba Memorial vacation, and I certainly didn't hear any complaints!"

Daisuke paused at that before looking sheepish. "Oh. Right."

"Daisuke's a great cook!" Chibimon said as he hefted up a small pan over his head. "Daisuke's great at _everything_!"

Daisuke smiled fondly at Chibimon before accepting the pan. "And you're the best assistant a cook can have, Chibimon."

Chibimon giggled as he blushed, smiling brightly.

Ken smiled softly as he watched Daisuke and Chibimon, then turned to look at his own partner as Wormmon sat in the chair beside him. It was hard not to, given how strongly he empathized with Daisuke in his love for his partner.

Silence settled in save for the utensils Daisuke used to cook. It only took a few minutes before he felt anxious about the quiet and he fumbled for a new topic. "So, uh… Why'd you learn to cook? I mean, you're so rich and smart, I would've thought you'd just have people cooking for you all the time."

Ken hesitated at the question before his smile fell for a moment. He quickly replaced it, though it was far more awkward than he would have liked. "I… I'm often on my own for meals, so…"

It was partially the truth. Before Osamu had died, if he wanted to eat, he was the one that had to scrounge something up. His mother would only remember to make something for Osamu, who in turn had taken care of _him_ \- whenever he thought of it. That left Ken far too often on his own. The journey through the Digital World had been a blessing and a curse in many ways, including giving him the opportunity to learn to cook from a very patient teacher and eager.

As for after Osamu's death…

...It'd be a cold day in _hell_ before he'd eat that woman's cooking.

Ken quickly schooled away the scowl that had appeared on his face, with a small shake, before he made his smile return. "And really, it's just easier for me to cook what I like. I guess that makes me a bit strange."

Daisuke whipped his head around, a brief flutter of panic running through him. "I didn't mean it like that! There's no way I'd think you're strange, Ken!"

Ken blinked before he chuckled softly. "No, no, I'm sure you didn't mean it. I'm just being a bit self-depreciative, that's all."

Confusion was plainly evident on Daisuke's face. "Why would you do that? You're the coolest, most amazing guy in the world!"

Chibimon side-eyed his partner before he let out a soft sigh through his nose. He often wondered the same thing about _Daisuke_ , but knew the answer ultimately came down to one person - Jun.

Wormmon glanced up to his partner, discreetly reaching over to touch his partner's leg in silent support. He knew far too well where Ken's thoughts were rooted, but he also knew he couldn't openly discuss it - whether Daisuke was around or not.

Ken chuckled again, a bit more awkwardly this time as a bead of sweat appeared on his brow. "I'm... not sure I'd go _that_ far…" His smile strengthened as he tilted his head. "Well, regardless, now it's _your_ turn. Why did _you_ learn to cook?"

Daisuke let out a low rumble at the back of his throat. "Well, it's not like my mom doesn't cook for me or anything, but I help her out in the kitchen for my chores. There's no way I'm gonna be doing stuff where she's not watching while at home when I'm not in my room. Snd she didn't want me eating junk food just because I get up super early before school, so I learned to make breakfast on my own while everyone was sleeping."

Ken was about to ask why before realization flickered and his expression darkened. "It's because of Jun, isn't it."

Grimacing, Daisuke nodded after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. "That obvious, huh?"

"Jun loves making things difficult for Daisuke," Chibimon said as he slumped his shoulders. "She's _awful_."

Ken let out a deep sigh through his nose. It seemed that the two had even more in common, though he could find no happiness in that thought. If anything, it made the darkness inside him churn and bubble, and he had to remind it that Jun had eaten her fair share of crow - he had seen to that _himself_.

Wormmon turned to Ken with a brow furrowed in worry and gently rubbed the back of his partner's hand.

"Jun gets super cranky in the morning," Daisuke said as he turned back to his cooking. "And naturally that means taking it out on me, especially on days where _she_ had to get up early for some club or some sale or whatever. I figured I'd use soccer practice as an excuse to not be here for that as much as possible, you know?"

"But she's been leaving you alone, right?" Ken asked as he looked over to Daisuke. "Ever since… well. That."

"Yeah, thank _God_ ," Daisuke sighed, tension easing from his face. "Still, I don't wanna push my luck, and I don't want to get my hopes up this'll last, ya know?" He dropped his voice to a mutter out the side of his mouth. "It never does."

"That's for the best," Ken said with a nod. "It's best to not give her a target, if it can be helped. Some people just _enjoy_ spreading misery."

Daisuke let out another, deeper sigh, shoulders slumping. "You got that right."

Silence hung in the air between them as Ken silently stewed and Daisuke fumbled with a change in topic. Fortunately, it didn't take him too long.

"So, you planning on going pro with soccer too?" Daisuke asked cheerfully.

Ken paused at that and blinked before his expression grew thoughtful. "I… had considered it." He then gave the other boy a sheepish smile. "Though I've been strongly discouraged by all of my advisors."

"Huh?" Daisuke blinked. "Why's that?"

"Well," Ken said as he leaned back in his chair. "It's the same reason I've been discouraged from playing soccer at all - it's 'taking time away from more important things'." He gave a small shrug before he smiled at Daisuke. "So you're planning on going pro?"

Though Daisuke was troubled by Ken's answer, he still managed to be enthusiastic about his. "Hell yeah! I'm going to win the World Cup for Japan someday!"

Ken's smile widened. "Good for you. You've got a lot of talent, and I can definitely see you making it far."

"Of course!" Chibimon agreed as he hopped on the counter. "Daisuke'll make _all_ the goals!"

Daisuke beamed, his smile radiant. "You really think so?"

Ken nodded, unable to help but match the goggle boy's grin. "I do."

A noise of glee eeked out of Daisuke before he covered it up with a cough and forced himself to regain his composure. "I'm glad you think so, Ken. That means a lot."

Ken did his best not to chuckle, even if he really wanted to. Daisuke's excitement was a bit adorable, even as he felt guilty for such undeserved idolization, and he didn't want to feel embarrassed by it. "I'm glad. You definitely deserve the encouragement."

"Thanks!" Daisuke practically chirped, cheeks pinking.

The atmosphere was notably lighter as Daisuke hurriedly finished cooking an impressive sized meal which, after the Digimon got their share, would leave the boys each with a modest portion.

Ken took his chopsticks and picked a piece of fish, grilled to perfection, before he placed it in his mouth. He chewed it before he was immediately hit with the flavor, and pleasure flushed across his face. "Daisuke, this is _delicious_!"

"Really?" Daisuke asked eagerly, eyes alight with enthusiasm. "You think so?"

"I do!" Ken said before he resumed eating, then gave the goggle boy a sly grin. "Perhaps you should consider a career in cooking as well."

Daisuke let out a snort of laughter, practically falling to his chair as he took a seat. "Yeah, right! A career pushing a ramen cart around maybe."

"I like Daisuke's ramen," Chibimon said innocently. "I like _all_ the food Daisuke cooks."

"Thanks, Chibimon," Daisuke said, grinning as he rubbed Chibimon's head.

"Ramen's big business, you know!" Ken said as he snapped his chopsticks together. "You could become a billionaire ramen tycoon!"

Daisuke nearly spat out his drink. "A billionaire _ramen_ tycoon? Really?"

Ken managed to maintain an innocent look on his face, even as he tried to hold back his laughter. "It can't be _that_ hard, can it? Just put a bunch of noodle carts all over the place, and you'll soon be _swimming_ in broth - I mean, money."

Daisuke tried to get his laughter under control, but only managed to turn it into snickers instead. "Oh yeah, and I'll go international and have my face on magazines, TV, and even on the moon!"

"Of course!" Ken chirped. "Aliens need ramen too!"

"Especially Daisuke's ramen!" Chibimon said, matter-of-factly, before he took a big bite out of his fish as he held it with both paws.

Wormmon laughed along with the boys, his heart lighter than it was most days. There was not a doubt in his mind that Daisuke was good for Ken. The time the two boys spent together shone a light in the darkest part of Ken's life, which his partner desperately needed.

As much as Wormmon hoped his love and devotion would be enough, he knew he couldn't save Ken alone. For these moments when Ken's smile was genuine and laughter came easily, Wormmon was eternally indebted to Daisuke.

Daisuke and Ken's friendship gave Wormmon true hope that everything would get better, and Ken would be saved from the call of the Dark Ocean.


End file.
